How To Make Nanaimo Bars At Home

Nanaimo Bars are one of my favorite memories from growing up in Canada.  I was surprised when we moved to the United States and we couldn’t purchase them at any of the local bakeries.  Since then I have tried to learn how to make Nanaimo bars at home, but they never came out quite as good as I remembered.  Needless to say, I was very pleased when my Aunt Jean (who still lives in Canada) shared her Nanaimo bar recipe with the family.  Below is her recipe, with one little twist.

That being said, one thing I’ve never liked about nanaimo bars is the coconut in the base layer.  I HATE coconut…… I hate the texture, I hate the taste and I hate the smell.  That’s why I’m so excited about this recipe.  I was able to take my Aunt Jean’s recipe (very traditional) and adapt it to NOT include coconut. 

This no-bake recipe is made in a 9×9 baking dish and can be cut into 12-16 bars.  The bottom layer is a rich chocolate base.  My favorite is the middle layer, which is so hard to describe.  It’s like a whipped, creamy icing!  My mouth is watering just writing about it.  It contains Custard Powder that I order through Amazon (see affiliate disclaimer below) because it’s difficult to find locally in our area.  And the top layer is …….more chocolate.  DELISH!!

If you want to know how to make Nanaimo bars much easier, then break out your KitchenAid stand mixer. The paddle attachment works great for mixing the base ingredients and the whisk attachment is perfect for whipping the creamy filling center. Visit our article on the KitchenAid stand mixing for more information on the mixer and some of the other recipes it can be used for. It’s a must-have appliance for any kitchen.

If you want to know how to make Nanaimo bars and are looking for a recipe, this is a great one. And if you like coconut (gag), it can be made with coconut too. Just replace the quick oats with coconut in the base layer. Nanaimo Bars are an easy dessert to make and they can be made ahead of time and frozen until needed.

It’s also easy to double the recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan instead.  If there happen to be any leftovers (which is doubtful), they’re best stored in a sealed container in the fridge. If you’ve never tried Nanaimo bars before, you should give them a try.  I don’t think you will disappoint. Enjoy!

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5 from 4 votes

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Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients

Base:

• 1/2 c butter
• 1/4 c white sugar
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs 1 sleeve graham crackers
• 1 c quick cook oats – traditional recipe – unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 c chopped walnuts toasted

Filling:

• 1/2 c butter
• 1/4 c milk
• ¼ c custard powder
• 3 c icing sugar

Topping:

• 8 oz pkg of semi sweet chocolate morsels
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

Base:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Add sugar and cocoa. Mix well. Allow mixture to cool.
3. Whisk egg with vanilla. Whisk into cooled butter mixture.
4. Add graham crackers, quick oats and walnuts.
5. Press evenly into a greased 9 x 9 square pan.
6. Chill for at least 20 minutes

Filling:

1. Whip butter. Add in custard powder and milk.
2. Gradually add in sugar. Whip until fluffy.
3. Spread over base with spatula and return to the fridge.

Topping:

1. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath. Remove and cool down.
2. Add on top of the filling layer. Spread with spatula to get an even layer.
3. Return to the fridge for another 15 minutes.
4. Cut into squares and serve.

Recipe Notes

Nanaimo Bars have been a Canadian treat for a long time. There are many variations – coffee, mint, cappuccino flavored, etc. Enjoy!

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